Category: Music

Just one CD purchased the entire weekend in Newfoundland

• Great Big Sea – Road Rage ($19.99)

Great Big Sea are a band from St. John’s that are pretty well known all over Canada. This is a live CD and although the band are known for their raucous yet intimate party-like shows (I’ve seen them twice in the past 5 years), this recording doesn’t really convey that. Still, I bought it in St. John’s and spent a few minutes with the 50-something shopkeeper talking about them. In an ironic twist, he told me the Canadian Alliance party swiped one of their songs for their campaign and have been told to stop using it. Imagine, a band from Newfoundland being used to promote a party that would probably like to surgically amputate Newfoundland and push it into the sea.

It’s the weekend, hence more consumerism:

• Ben Folds Five-Whatever and Ever Amen ($10.99)
• Stevie Wonder-Fulfillingness’ First Finale ($10.99)
• Aimee Mann-Bachelor No.2 ($18.99)
• Macy Gray-On How Life Is ($16.99)
• The Feelies-Crazy Rhythms ($17.99)

I also bought Angels of the Universe, by Einar Mar Gudmundsson. You might remember that this was made into my favourite film at the Toronto International Film Festival this year. I was pretty excited to see it in the overstock bin for $4.99.

Brooke and I went to see Billy Elliot on Friday night. Fairly predictable and corny, but the kid is very cute and a great dancer. The best part may have been the soundtrack which had lots of T-Rex and The Jam and The Clash.

CD buying binge (all prices in Canadian dollars):

• Magazine-Real Life ($18.99)
• Teenage Head-Some Kinda Fun ($10.99)
• Sloan-Peppermint EP ($6.99)
• Luxuria-Beast Box ($6.99)
• Luxuria-Unanswerable Lust ($5.99)
• Retro 80’s, Vol.6: Pure Canadian (EMI Music Canada compilation) ($10.99)

Teenage Head were a Canadian punk/rockabilly band from the late 70’s early 80’s. I was a big fan in my teens. Luxuria were a Howard DeVoto’s band in the late 80’s (DeVoto of early Buzzcocks/Magazine “fame”). Never heard them, but taking a chance. The Magazine stuff I’ve been after for a while, even though it’s way too expensive. I picked up “Secondhand Daylight” (Magazine‘s second album–“Real Life” was their first) a few years ago for less than $10 in a delete bin.

The Canadian 80’s thing I just couldn’t resist. Check out the list of artists (at least the ones I think are or should be well known), and let me know if you know who they were (Americans especially welcome to respond…I’m curious about this):

• Martha and the Muffins (later became M+M)
• Rational Youth
• Strange Advance
• Men Without Hats
• Sherry Kean
• Dalbello
• Luba
• Glass Tiger
• Grapes of Wrath
• The Northern Pikes
• Rock and Hyde (formerly The Payola$)
• The Pursuit of Happiness
• National Velvet

Now, all fine choices for a compilation, but there are WAY more Canadian bands that were/are worthy of inclusion. Again, let me know if you’re familiar with any or all of the following:

• The Spoons
• Jane Siberry
• Pukka Orchestra
• The Diodes
• The Box
• Blue Peter
• Teenage Head (they’re not on the compilation)
• Platinum Blonde
• The Kings
• The Parachute Club
• Nash the Slash
• Max Webster
• Chalk Circle

Canadians, have I missed your favourite?

I’ve added a new section under “special” at right. It’s called “the setlist project” and it’s something I’ve wanted to do for a while. I’m not an avid collector of setlists, but I’ll take one when I can. I’m not even as much of a concertgoer as I used to be, but I thought scanning and posting setlists would give people a chance to talk about their favourite bands. If you’ve got ’em, scan ’em and send ’em my way, along with your anecdotes about the show. I’ll link to your site and email, if you want. Check out my collection of two (2) setlists!!

Sleater-Kinney were better than I expected. The best thing about them was that they sold their own t-shirts. I bought one from the drummer. They sat at their merchandise table and signed CDs and chatted with fans until about 10 minutes before they went on. No rock star posturing for them. It was refreshing. I’m not a huge fan of their music (actually, it’s just the singing that annoys, they sound like a hard rock Go-Go’s), but they were so tight live that I actually enjoyed it more than the shaggy Modest Mouse show the night before.

Evidence wrapped up in the trial today. Tomorrow, we the jury face the closing arguments from 5, count ’em, 5 lawyers. That should take most of the day. On Monday, most probably, the judge will give us his final instructions and we’ll be sequestered until we unanimously decide on a verdict (on each of the 40 counts). Should be a blast…

Things bought recently:

• Buzzcocks – Operators Manual – This is a great compilation with 25 songs from these Manchester punks. I’ve always been a fan but never owned any of their CDs. I also want to buy more from early Buzzcock Howard Devoto’s band Magazine.
• This Is Spinal Tap – This brings to 8 the number of DVD movies I now own, without owning a proper DVD player. Sure, I can watch them on my roommate’s computer, but it’s not the same. Couldn’t resist this one. I even have the Voyager CD-ROM with the Quicktime version of the movie…
• Please Kill Me, The Uncensored Oral History of Punk, by Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain – This is a great book, compiled from many many interviews with pioneers of the mostly American punk scene in the 70s. There’s stuff here about the Velvet Underground, MC5, Iggy Pop and the Stooges, New York Dolls, Ramones, Bowie, Dead Boys, Patti Smith, Television, Blondie, almost everyone involved in the birth of the punk movement in the US. If only there were a book like this about the UK scene. Anyone know of one??